Slusher scraper structure



Jan. 12, 1965 J. A. WILSON SLUSHER SCRAPER STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 20, 1963BAIEN T AGENT United States Patent 3,164,914 SLUSHER SCRAPER STRUCTUREJohn A. Wilson, Orillia, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Fahralloy CanadaLimited, Grillia, Ontario, Canada Filed Feb. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 259,9603 Claims. (Cl. 37-447) This invention relates to slusher scrapers andmore particularly to the nose shoe structure thereof.

Slusher scrapers are widely employed in mining and like operations forscraping ore or rock from Working faces. The conventional scraper is ofsimple construction and comprises a back plate carried by a pair ofarms, and a nose shoe. The nose shoe assists in tying the ends of thearms together, provides protection for the ends of the arms by means ofa runner incorporated in it, adds weight to balance the assembledscraper, and includes an eye to which a pull cable is attached eitherdirectly or through hitches of various types. The nose shoe is usually aseparate element which is normally bolted to the arms to facilitatereplacement in a mine working place. More over, most scrapers have to beknocked-down in transporting them underground, and then reassembled inthe working place. Bolting has thus been considered the normal manner offastening the nose shoe to the arms. Attempts have been made to simplifythe nose shoe attachment means and to provide an interlockingarrangement between the arms and the nose shoe whereby depending on thebolts as the sole attachment means, as well as the stress on the bolts,is reduced. As a consequence, the number of bolts required is reduced.However, it appears that, in substantially all presently availablescrapers, at least one bolt is required to secure the nose shoe to thearms.

It is an object of this invention to provide a slusher scraper having anose shoe which is of simple form and manufacture but which requires nobolts or separate fastening means for attachment to the scraper arms,and which possesses fully adequate operating strength while permittingease of assembly with and disassembly from the other elements of thescraper.

The inventionwill be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a scraper inaccordance with the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional plan view.

In the drawing, the scraper blade or back plate of the scraper isindicated at and is carried by a pair of arms 11 which are flaredinwardly towards each other, as shown, and which have free opposed endportions 12. Each arm has a shoulder or stop 13 projecting laterallyoutwardly from the outer side surface of the end portion 12 and a secondshoulder or 'stop 14 also projecting laterally outwardly from the outerside surface of end portion 12 and in spaced relation to shoulder 13.Each end portion 12 has a generally flat inner surface 15 which istapered or inclined in converging relation towards the opposed surface15 of the other end portion 12.

A nose shoe 16 comprises a hollow, open-ended, box section 17,rectangular in cross section, and having a runner 18 dependingtherefrom.

A wedge 19 having tapered or converging side surfaces 20 is providedwith an end section 21 having an eye 22 therein.

The nose shoe is attached to the end portions of the ICE arms 11 byinitially pressing such end portions tightly together, the wedge 19being out of position. In this position, the box section 17 may be movedover the ends of the arms and in encircling relation thereto to a finalposition between stops 13 and 14.

The wedge 19 is now driven into position between the surfaces 15 of thearms and through the box section 17. Driving of the wedge spreads thearms, forces the outside surfaces of the arms, between shoulders 13 and14 tightly against the inside faces of the box section, and therebylocks the assembly rigidly together.

The distance between shoulders 13 and 14 is approximately equal to thelength of the box section 17 and thus movement of the shoe is restrictedby such shoulders. The wedge surfaces 20 are in snug engagement with thesurfaces 15 of the arms when the box section is firmly seated betweenshoulders 13 and 14. Thus, the wedge cannot be pulled or drivencompletely through the assembly. In the locked position of the wedge,the eye section 21 is exposed, as shown, to permit fastening of a pullcable 23 or the like thereto.

It will be apparent that, when the scraper is moving forwardly, pullingore or rock, the forces acting through the pull rope impose a tighteningaction on the wedge and the nose shoe assembly. However, when the emptyscraper is pulled back to the Working face for another load, the stressapplied is not such as to loosen the assembly.

The scraper described possesses a number of advantages, some of whichmay be listed as follows:

(1) Since the scraper eliminates the use of bolts, welding, and likefastening means, assembly and disassembly is greatly facilitated.

(2) The structure results in a rigid assembly at all times, withconsequent greater operating efficiency. Bolted assemblies habituallyloosen because of stretching or breakage of bolts.

(3) Maintenance costs are reduced since the bolts in conventionalassemblies must be regularly tightened and replaced during the servicelife of the scraper.

(4) The structure described permits ease of knocking down andre-assembly, since only the use of a simple tool, such as a sledgehammer is required. This is an important consideration in a mine workingplace where it is difficult to obtain tools.

(5) Replacement of nose shoes (a periodical requirement in the life of ascraper) is a simple step.

I claim:

1. A slusher scraper comprising a scraper blade, a pair of arms carryingsaid scraper blade and having opposed end portions, each said endportion having an inner face, said inner faces being in confrontingrelation and in converging relation towards each other, each said endportion having an outer face and a pair of spaced shoulders projectinglaterally outwardly from said outer face, a wedge disposed between saidinner faces and having converging faces in engagement with said innerfaces, and a nose shoe having a ground engageable runner thereon and ahollow box section encircling said end portions of said arms and saidwedge, said box section having end edges disposed between each said pairof shoulders.

2. A slusher scraper as defined in claim 1, said wedge having aneye-containing end section.

3. A slusher scraper comprising a scraper blade, a pair of arms carryingsaid scraper blade and having opposed end portions, each said endportion having an inner face,

3 4 said inner faces being in confronting relation and in conshoulders,and said wedge having an exposed eye-converging relation towards eachother, each said end portaining end section.

tion having an outer face and a pair of spaced shoulders e th' PIOJCCUHglaterally outwardly from said outer face, a Referenc S Cited m the fileof 18 Patent wedge disposed between said inner faces and having com- 5UNITED STATES PATENTS plementary converging faces in engagement withsaid in- 801,707 Becker Oct. 10, 1905 ner faces, and a nose shoe havinga ground engageable 1,611,296 West Dec. 21, 1926 runner thereon and ahollow box section encircling said 2,743,540 Whisler May 1, 1956 endportions of said arms and said wedge, said box section having end edgesdisposed between each said pair of 10 FOREIGN PATENTS 855,904 GreatBritain Dec. 7, 1960

1. A SLUSHER SCRAPER COMPRISING A SCRAPER BLADE, A PAIR OF ARMS CARRYINGSAID SCRAPER BLADE AND HAIVING OPPOSED END PORTIONS, EACH SAID ENDPORTION HAVING AN INNER FACE, SAID INNER FACES BEING IN CONFRONTINGRELATION AND IN CONVERGING RELATION TOWARDS EACH OTHER, EACH SAID ENDPORTION HAVING AN OUTER FACE AND A PAIR OF SPACED SHOULDERS PROJECTINGLATERALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID OUTER FACE, A WEDGE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAIDINNER FACES AND HAVING CONVERGING FACES IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INNERFACES, AND A NOSE SHOE HAVING A GROUND ENGAGEABLE RUNNER THEREON AND AHOLLOW BOX SECTION ENCIRCLING SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID ARMS AND SAIDWEDGE, SAID BOX SECTION HAVING END EDGES DISPOSED BETWEEN EACH SAID PAIROF SHOULDERS.